BIG (Barcode-In-Genome), the core technology developed at Digenomix is a novel and out-of-box approach to interrogate single-cell genomes. This ground breaking tool enable scientists to completely dissect the genomic composition of each cancer cell down to the single base resolution, empower them to determine the mechanisms of cancer genesis and evolution which in turn help oncologist to diagnose cancer and direct their therapy.

Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese military strategist once said, “If you know your enemy and yourself, you will surely win a war.” Sadly speaking, half a century after American President Nixon declared a war on cancer, we still have very vague ideas about the genetic make-ups of cancers. Therefore it is not surprising that treatment for cancer can be described as “hit-and-miss” at best.

There are two prevailing approaches to survey our “enemy”, one is practiced by vast majority of pathologists, who look the morphology of cancer tissues under microscope, occasionally aided by immunostaining and in-situ FISH; the other is practiced by a great number of molecular biologists who would grind a cancer tissue consisting of a mixture of millions of malignant and normal cells, to extract DNA and then try to decipher what is wrong with the DNA from malignant cells. Neither of the approach is precise or detailed enough to be qualified as “knowing the enemy”.

Digenomix is developing a technology that will allow us to “know our enemy”